Diseases in patients coming to a sleep center with symptoms related to restless legs syndrome

• Published in: PloS one 2013-08, Vol.8 (8), p.e71499-e71499
• Main Authors: Lin, Shih-Wei, Chen, Yen-Lung, Kao, Kuo-Chin, Yang, Cheng-Ta, Chuang, Li-Pang, Chou, Yu-Ting, Lai, Szu-Chia, Chen, Rou-Shayn, Chen, Ning-Hung
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Apnea; Chinese medicine; Criteria; Critical care; Demography; Diagnosis; Differential diagnosis; Disorders; Family medical history; Female; Health aspects; Health Facilities; Hospitals; Humans; Insomnia; Iron; Legs; Male; Medical diagnosis; Medical research; Medicine; Middle Aged; Neurology; Patients; Population; Questionnaires; Restless legs syndrome; Restless Legs Syndrome - physiopathology; Sleep; Sleep - physiology; Sleep apnea; Sleep deprivation; Sleep disorders; Surveys; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1932-6203; 1932-6203
• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0071499

To explore the profile of patients who visit a sleep center with symptoms that fulfill the four essential criteria for restless legs syndrome (RLS). A prospective study. Outpatients from one sleep disorders clinic in Taiwan. 1,200 consecutive patients visit sleep disorders clinic with any sleep complaints. After completing a history and physical examination, all participants answered the RLS questionnaire. Subjects who fulfilled the four essential criteria for RLS were referred to a special clinic. A work-up including blood tests, polysomnography, and specialized neurological tests etc. was performed to make the final diagnosis. A total of 1,185 participants were enrolled, and, of these, 131(11.1%) fulfilled the four essential criteria for RLS, and 121 completed the supplemental work-up. Their mean age was 47.6±13.3 and 52.9% were male. Insomnia and snoring were the most common chief complaints. Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome and other diseases were found in 103 patients. Only 18 (14.9%) patients had no comorbid condition and were diagnosed with primary RLS. Symptoms of RLS are common in patients with sleep complaints. Even in a sleep clinic, using a questionnaire approach for identification of RLS has a low positive predictive value. Clinicians should pay attention to the limitations of the 4-item questionnaire in diagnosis of RLS and also the importance of a careful differential diagnosis to identify possible secondary causes of RLS.